Deciding that the fourth is coming? It is revealed that James refuses to cut his salary and renew his contract with the Lakers, and it is not ruled out to transfer to his team

In this year's NBA playoffs, the Lakers were swept by the Timberwolves 1-4 gentlemen. The team has two top NBA stars, James and Doncic, but they stopped in the first round again. This result is undoubtedly disappointing. It can also be seen from this year's playoffs that there are big problems with the Lakers' lineup. Their lineup must be adjusted during the offseason, and James' stay or leave has become the focus of fans' attention.

At present, there are three options before James: one is to retire, the second is to apply for a transaction, and the third is to continue to stay in the team. Judging from the current situation, James is likely not to choose to retire because he currently holds a 54 million player option. This summer he can choose to jump out of the contract and sign a three-year, $175 million contract with the Lakers. Because the contract amount is relatively large, no player will give up the opportunity to make money in vain. In addition, James has previously made it clear that he wants to compete on the same stage with his youngest son Bryce, who has the hope of being selected in next year's draft. Whether from a business or a family perspective, James has no reason to choose to retire this summer.

Because James holds the veto power of the trade, the Lakers must agree to the transaction if they want to trade James, so it is possible that James will take the initiative to apply for a transaction. According to the latest report from the US media TA, the people around James and the team's sources did not rule out the possibility that James would leave the Lakers. This news was already rumored long before the Lakers were eliminated. James' current form is still very good. He averaged 25.4 points, 9 rebounds, 5.6 assists per game this year's playoffs. He still wants to attack the fifth championship. Considering the Lakers' current lineup strength, joining other teams such as the Cavaliers will undoubtedly make it easier to realize his dream of winning the championship. However, joining other teams may cause him to encounter a public opinion crisis again.

Choosing to stay in the team may be the most likely choice for James, but the Lakers are now limited in competitiveness, and the team urgently needs to introduce some players to improve their strength. This means that if James wants to win the championship, he must cut his salary again. During the offseason last year, James signed a two-year, $101.3 million contract with the Lakers. At that time, James originally intended to cut his salary more in order to create salary space for the team to sign another star, but in the end the Lakers failed to succeed in pursuing players such as Thompson, DeRozan, Valanciunas, etc., so James ended up only getting 3 million less. TA's sources pointed out that if James chooses to stay with the Lakers, he does not expect to consider a salary cut like last year. This means that the Lakers may face greater pressure on their cap space, and the team cannot introduce some powerful players, making it more difficult to hit the championship. What choice will James make in the end? The answer will be revealed this summer. Let’s wait and see!